Ellie's Concussion

Last Monday, Ellie fell off her chair at lunch.  That's it, nothing major, just slipped from her short little chair onto our vinyl flooring.  She screamed, then let me rock her for a minute, then got her shoes on to run errands.

A few minutes later, as we pulled out of our cul-de-sac, I saw her falling asleep in the rear-view mirror.  And then she'd open her eyes, and they'd roll back into her head.

'Hmmm'...I watched her for a few minutes as we drove across town.

And then she started vomiting.  All over the place.

Here she is, unwilling to wake, at the pediatrician's office. Hannah, Emma, and Sarah were so helpful and thoughtful through it all.  Natty was pretty great too, just a little less um, nurturing.  'Oh why did I come? I wish I'd stayed home.  This is going to be a long day.' Such compassion he has.

Sarah waited patiently for her best friend to get checked out.  She was so concerned for her side-kick.

After more vomiting in the doctor's office, and a failed attempt to rouse Ellie much, Dr. Healey sent us off to the ER.  Yeah, the same ER Sammy and his dad went to for the snake bite...The staff was wonderful, although the CAT scan lady must have thought I was nuts.  She said I could come in with Ellie to get her scan, but then paused and asked if there was any chance I could be pregnant because if there was, I couldn't be with her until the scan was over.  I said that I didn't think so, but that I guess there could always be a chance.  This woman just stood there, looking at me, then at the 5 children I had brought, then back at me, and said, 'there's a chance? Are you pregnant or not?'  And I said, 'you asked if there was a chance, not if I thought I was pregnant.'
And if you know my Emma Joy very well, you can probably guess what was going on in her mind through this conversation.  And it shot out her mouth.  'Mom, does she think you're PREGNANT?!  I mean, you just had a baby! Why would you be pregnant?' I left her clamoring on as I walked down the hall to the Cat scan room.  And the lady had me wait outside. Just in case.  

As you can see, my beautiful little girl recovered very well.  She  looked pretty out of it for a few hours, but then just kind of came to, and asked for food and a trip home.

Since she had ruined her dress when she threw up, the ER nurse let her go home in this little beauty.  Ellie thought it was the height of fashion, and her sisters were thrilled she would have something to wear when they play hospital.